Combination tool or hatchet



Nd Mode l.)

0'. A. KETGHUM. COMBINATION TOOL ORHATUHET.

aw 672x611 o Tans CHARLES A. KETCHUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,463, dated January23, 1894.

Application filed October 9, 1893. Serial No. 487,604. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. KETCHUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combination Tool orHatchet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tool to be used as a hatchet, nail-claw, orextractor, and hammer; and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, and novel operation of the parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

I-Ieretofore hatchets have generally been made with a claw forwithdrawing nails, tacks, and spikes, on the back part of the head orhammer, or are formed on the rear side edge of the blade with a notch oropen slot to engage the nail, and sometimes both constructions are used.Each of these constructions has been found to be unsatisfactory for thereason that nails whose heads are embedded .in the wood in which theyare driven can not be extracted without defacing the surface of thematerial or otherwise injuring it.

The objects of my invention, therefore, are, first, to embody in oneimplement, several tools, in such a manner that it will be simple, andinexpensive in construction, strong and durable, yet effective inoperation; and second, such a device, which shall be adapted for drivingnails, chopping or cutting, and for extracting nails, the heads of whichmay be embedded in the wood, without injury to the surface of thematerial in which they are driven.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1, is a viewin side elevation of my combination tool or hatchet, showing a portionof the handle thereof, and Fig. 2, is an edge view thereof.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A, represents a hatchet, made of any suitable size, having as usual ablade or cuttingedge a, a head or hammer b, and a handle C, which isinserted in an eye or opening provided for its reception in the ordinarymanner. Near the rear portion of the blade or cutting edge a, or thatpart thereof adjacent to the handle C, is formed an A shaped opening orslit 6, which extends obliquely toward the central portion of thehatchet, as is clearly seen in Fig.1, of the drawings. Each of the edgesof this opening, is preferably beveled on both sides, as is seen at e,inFig. 2, and thus presents sharp or cutting edges to the nail or spikewith which they are to engage. The ends e and c ofthe opening or slit e,at the enlargement thereof project somewhat beyond the line of thecutting-edge a, and are sharpened or beveled on each side, thus offeringpoints which can be easily inserted under the head of a nail. Thesepoints or projecting ends also afford a device for puncturing orperforating the lids of boxes, which contain fruit or other articlesrequiring air, and also for marking or otherwise preparing thin piecesof wood, which would split with the grain, if struck with the fullblade, for breaking.

From the foregoing, and by reference to the drawings, it will be seenand understood that if the heads of the nails are embedded deeply withinthe box-lid, the cutting edge a, may be inserted between the lowersurface of the lid, and the edge of the box, in such a way that when itis forced thereunder the slit e, will stride the nail, when its beveledor cutting edges will create therein indentations or notches, when byprying with the handle, the nail will be raised until it can be reachedbeneath the head, and above the top of the box. It will also beunderstood that by taking the handle 0, in one hand and the head orhammer b, in the other, suflicient leverage can be obtained to extractalmost any nail.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of manufacture, a combination tool or hatchethaving an A- shaped slit or opening therein extending obliquely from thecutting edge and toward the center of the body of the tool, said slit oropening having its edges beveled on both sides, and provided at itsouter extremity with the points or projections 6 and 6 substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES A. KETCHUM.

Witnesses:

CHAs. O. TILLMAN, C. A. DUGGAN.

